A Chat with Rob Prince (25.03.24)
For over 25 years, singer-songwriter Rob Prince has been observing life, capturing stories and sharing life experiences in his moving melodies. Sauntering through various genres, Prince’s music flits from indie-pop and folk to pop and indie-rock. We speak with the UK-based musician about his EP Reflections, what music means to him, feeling old and upcoming plans.
OSR: A rather cliché question but what drew you to music?
Prince: I was really, really getting into music about 12/13 and my older brother came back from uni with an old guitar he’d traded with someone. I don’t think I’d really seen a proper acoustic guitar until then. I nicked it off him and taught myself to play with “Simple Oasis” and “Simple Blur” books. I still have that guitar. I used it for 3 tracks on Reflections, it’s permanently tuned to drop D! I love it.
I then discovered I could carry a tune and was an alright singer with a fairly good range on my voice. I then started writing my own music about 16/17. I was drawn to music because I think once you realise that you can create it, it’s like a happy pill. You keep coming back to it as it makes you physically and mentally feel good and soothed.
OSR: Why did you opt to pursue a career as a musician?
Prince: The truth is being a musician has always been in the background in my life. I recorded a little tape cassette album when I was 17 for my girlfriend (now my wife today and we have kids), and on it were 9 tracks… (‘Find our way’ is from it…). In my 20s when we lived in Kentish Town, London, I used to play a regular slot at the Abbey Pub. There’s still videos on YouTube of it. They were great years, boozy years, and always a big crowd of friends there.
I then hung up the guitar for many, many years whilst having kids, and moved out to the “sticks” where I’m originally from in 2017. Then something amazing happened in 2022 when I got asked if I could play 30 minutes at a local event. It totally sparked everything off again. This September 2023, I decided I would start recording all the songs I’ve written over the past 25 years at my great local recording studio Black Cactus Studios near Manningtree which is roughly where I live. I’ve absolutely loved this, and meeting AJ who has produced me. This has snowballed into various gigs and opportunities. I have 7 songs on Spotify now, with a lot more to come! I’m just trying to say yes to things and see where this is all going.
I have a successful full-time career outside of music but I’m glad that music can be a great companion. I’ve had so many great experiences and met so many great people in the past 2 years.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Prince: I think it’s just ever-present. It’s always been there. From listening to my middle brother listening to Madonna, Prince, Cindy Larper, and then my eldest brother listening to Bob Marley, Guns and Roses, Levellers. Me and my friends were teenagers in the 1990s and had just the best time listening to Britpop, Pulp, Blur, Oasis, so much great music, so much excellent dance music from the club times in our 17/18s. I went to hundreds of gigs in my 20s in London… Great times and memories.
Music is something that can make you feel any emotion depending on your mood. Comfort you, pick you up, make you emotional, make you scream and shout, make you rejoice. It’s a great companion and infinite.
OSR: You recently released your EP Reflections. What can you tell us about the EP? Is there a particular theme or backstory?
Prince: Reflections is a diverse range of songs where each song is a reflection on life. It covers a writing period from 17 to 41. I wanted to make a chilled acoustic album for people to relax to, cook to, and maybe think to. I wanted people to hopefully find this curated set of similar reflective songs relatable.
‘Find Our Way’ reflects on recovery from loss and trying to find hope. It was on the original tape I talked about above that I sent with my now wife when she left and went to Africa on her gap year; we were 18 and we temporarily broke up. It’s haunting but somehow optimistic.
‘Moonshine’ reflects on finding simple pleasures and comfort in nature. I wrote this during Covid in 2022 when I was reflecting on despite all the chaos in the world, the small pleasures were coming from being outside at dusk, watering, and listening to the geese fly to the river.
‘Mirrors’ questions our perception of ourselves and not seeing inner beauty. I wrote this in 2006 when I noticed how long it took people to get ready for a night out, and how much they checked their reflection, changed their clothes, and changed them again. It was quite sad when I thought about it. People should be encouraged to care less about their appearance and love themselves more
‘Home’ is searching for that comfort you seek, especially when you feel displaced from your own home. I wrote this in 2023, thinking about all the people in the world who aren’t with the ones they love. I recently had a review of my album and they said that home normally makes you feel comforted, but this song is almost about death, it’s about marching on and dreaming of home.
‘Celebrity’ reflects on our obsession with celebrity and how it can turn good people into bad. I wrote this in 2008 when social media was really beginning to rise and influencers were becoming a very new thing. I feel uncomfortable about celebrity-dom but also it’s like an addiction, cos like it says, everybody wants to be a celebrity in some small way. If only for a day. But no way is everyone prepared to be ruthless to get there.
Finally, ‘Ain’t A Damn Thing Changed’ confronts that time changes, faces change but actually, nothing really changes. I wrote this in 2022 in reaction to the world and how things just feel like they are repeating themselves. I love the cello on this. I find it fairly emotional.
OSR: Do you feel this EP is an accurate reflection of your sound at the moment?
Prince: Ha! Very good question! I think it reflects (no pun intended!) a part of me. I think I was struck by how slow and stripped-back it was when I listened to it. People who know me, know I’m frenetic and hyper, I’m pretty loud and chatty. The next EP currently untitled will have 6 songs on it and it’s gonna be way faster and happier. Some songs you can dance to but there is also a bit of good old-fashioned folk emotion on it too. So follow me on Spotify and it’ll appear in your Release Radar!
I love music of all genres. I’d love to remix my Manningtree song (my first single, a love letter for my two daughters about their childhood and the place they grew up) into a 90s dance record. I have a demo I fudged together, I’d love to do it properly… Any offers??!
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OSR: What do you find more challenging: melody or lyrics?
Prince: Oooo. Sometimes I wonder where it all comes from. I think I naturally find lyrics harder. They just seem to arrive. Almost like a phrase but it takes me weeks to think about a song, not particularly in an organised fashion. I play about with it as I’m going to sleep in my brain, and then I kind of sit down 3 weeks later and battle it out of my head. I think I love singing and melody, so hopefully this comes more naturally. However, I’ve seen some local singer-songwriters recently whose melodies are beautiful. I think being near creative people breeds creativity, like a virtuous loop.
OSR: What do you hope people take from Reflections, and what do you take from the EP?
Prince: I hope that people feel something. I hope they find something in one of those songs and think, yep I agree with that. Or made them think about their own thoughts on the subject. I suppose I want them to like the songs, I want them to like them as a set. I’d like them to think this guy is worth listening to and I’m interested in new songs in future. I suppose in some ways, I want the music to be enjoyed after all these years, and for the songs, in their own little way, to feel like they are contenders in the vast vast sea of free and infinite music, especially since streaming has almost turned music towards valueless and instantly discardable.
OSR: Random questions: What is one recent experience that has made you feel old?
Prince: Having a daughter who is about to turn 10 and knowing that in a few years, she’ll be a proper teenager. I like growing old though. There’s a consistent thread of me through time and decades, but I’m a very different person than in my 20s, than in my 30s. I embrace getting older and the new wonderful challenges and experiences it brings.
OSR: How important is evolution in sound and style for an artist?
Prince: I think a lot. You don’t want to be a “one trick pony”. Although some artists are very successful, turning out the same song 20 times. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, to be honest. For me, I suppose I’m always trying to amuse myself a bit and I like getting to that point where I write something new that I think “Wow, never thought I’d write something like that!
I think we are consistently influenced explicitly and implicitly. Take the local music scene where I live, so many amazing artists coming out of Essex and Suffolk. Then I’m constantly and religiously listening to BBC Radio 6 Music like the Huey show, Craig Charles show, Huw Edwards show… So many good shows, so much great new music being pushed by the BBC. It all goes in my head and evolves me I think.
OSR: If you had to name one thing that makes you stand out from others, what would that be – as a musician and a person?
Prince: Oooo. I HOPE what makes me stand out from some others is I try to be welcoming as an artist, I try to chat and banter a bit, introduce songs, not be moody, have a laugh, try and make people warm to me, and perhaps even be funny. I think that’s important. The older I get the more I think we should invest more time being as nice and polite to each other as possible and share laughter.
As a person, what makes me stand out a bit these days is I gave up alcohol 6+ years ago. I didn’t have a great relationship with alcohol and I have a bit of an obsessive, addictive personality at times! It’s one of the most life-changing things I’ve ever done and I’m 1000% happier for it. It’s not for everyone, but it changed me and potentially saved me. I see more and more people doing this.
OSR: What can we expect from Rob Prince in the future?
Prince: I still have more songs in the vault! Hopefully some pretty good ones. I’m really looking forward to this new EP (whatever I name it!) coming out. I’m playing locally at my 2 favourite open mics, I have a gig that I’m doing on Good Friday (it may have passed by the time this is published, but hopefully all on Instagram) and it’s an album launch party at our local record shop!
I have also been asked to play some gigs in the summer. I will be on a local Essex/Suffolk music podcast by “The Litter of Kings and Friends” soon from a gig I did for them. I’m just trying to say Yes to things. I’m not going hell for leather on it as I have a full-time job and family commitments, but I’m loving getting involved in the local scene and seeing where it takes me. I’d LOVE to play at a local festival like FolkEast, Latitude or BBC Introducing… Never say never!
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Prince: Support upcoming artists. Listen to their music. It is near impossible to get any press, coverage, or column inches… It’s very hard to get people to even click once on a song of yours and commit to listening to all 3 minutes of it. The industry does feel absolutely geared towards those who have made it. Help artists out by following them on Spotify, sharing their music with your friends if you like it, be curious and supportive. If you think this is good, tell the artist. I bet they reply.
I wish we all told each other positive things more often and more regularly. Never be scared to be nice. And in general, keep positive, surround yourself with positive people and every day do something you like. Get out in nature as much as you can and enjoy the small things. Ignore jealousy and greed, they are diseases and they will bring you down. Get out there and live your life and be proud of yourselves… And whilst you’re doing it, have a little listen to Reflections and Follow me on Spotify (I was bound to conclude with that right??!)
Many thanks to Rob Prince for speaking with us. Find out more about Rob Prince on his official website, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
